


Reward

by ev1878



Series: Ramsay Snow/Theon Greyjoy (Reek) [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Dissociative Identity Disorder, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Game of Thrones References, Game of Thrones spoilers, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Issues, Inspired by Game of Thrones, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-27
Updated: 2014-09-27
Packaged: 2018-02-18 23:46:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2366405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ev1878/pseuds/ev1878
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>‘Do you love me, Reek?’ my master asked with earnest.<br/>I tried to look him in the eye with sincerity, ‘Yes, of course, m’lord.’<br/>‘Good, because I need you to do something for me, something very important……’</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reward

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



'Don't you think you've slept a little bit too long?'  
My eyes snapped open, and I found my master's face just outside the cars of my cage, his hot breath came along to my face with his whisper. I instantly sat up and automatically ignored the pain in my cross, which had been seriously twisted and bruised. It was nothing compared to the loss of the lives last night. My master had already sacrificed too much for me. I didn't deserve any of the men's lives.  
'Yes, m'lord. I'm sorry, m'lord.'  
'Have these and I want you in my bath place in ten minutes.' My master threw me something before turning around and left.  
I took a close look at the thing. It was probably the leftover from last night's feast. I grabbed and stuffed them into my mouth anyway. Ten minutes were not a long time, and I had to make sure that I had enough energy to do all the chores today.

I finished them quickly, then I wondered what to do next. My master used to open my cage for me, but today he left of alone in the acid with a broken lock. What was he thinking about? I reached for the cage door but as soon as my fingertip touched the bars, I flinched away as if the bars had been burnt extremely hot. I didn't want freedom, I didn't deserve freedom. I used to have too many choices to choose from and I messed up. Life would simply be easier for me if all the choices had been made for me. Choices were the beginning of all sorts of troubles, I now realised. So why did my lord left me with a choice?

I was Reek, and I only had to take orders. My lord wanted me to go out, and shall I do.  
I inhaled deeply before pushing open the door. The bars were amazingly colder than what I had expected. I guessed I kind of liked the cool sensation on my fingertip, if I was allowed to like anything. Cold metals were always better than hot metals, weren’t they?  
I walked slowly out of the cage and stretched my body. The hounds were shifting, but not barking, probably because they had identified me as part of them. But today for the first time, I felt something inside me different from these hounds. My master left me with a broken lock, but not you, my friends, you were only hounds.

As I entered the bath place, numerous thoughts emerged from the darkest corner of my mind, I told myself not to think so much, and that what was going to happen would happen. That was my fate, it was not changeable.  
My master was sitting on the edge of a tub, his right hand brushed over the surface of the water.

‘I have a treat for you,’ he said, ‘a reward.’  
I raised my head fearfully, ‘Reward?’  
My master turned to look at me. ‘Yes, Reek. Those creatures that came at the night, they wanted to take you away, and you didn’t let them.’  
His grin was different this time, lacking the usual bit of cruelty, ruthlessness, and arrogance.  
‘You remained loyal.’ He finished his sentence. From his look, I thought he meant it, and I was suddenly devoured by gratitude.  
‘I…..I didn’t want them to take me, ‘ insecurity occupied my mind as I recalled last night’s terrifying incident, ‘I was so scared… I didn’t want them-’  
‘Yes, yes, Reek,’ my lord cut me off and made his way towards me. I ceased speaking immediately, I didn’t want to get him annoyed. I didn’t want to upset him. He stopped two steps in front of me and turned aside, gesturing at the tub of water, ‘It’s a bath,’ he paused, ‘for you!’

I looked at my lord in confusion and I looked at the bath. I wasn’t questioning his order, I was just, confused. When my gaze returned to my lord again, he asked me to take of the rags I was in. I didn’t know why, having spent so much time half-naked on the cross with him , I still hesitated.  
‘Now.’ My master decided to make his order clearer. I slipped off my clothes and let it fall to the floor.  
‘And the breeches, too, Reek. Take them off.’  
Fighting the shame, disgust, and awkwardness, I obeyed and stripped down to absolutely nothing. A tiny smirk escaped my master’s lips as his eyes trailed down my body. It was like a thunder to me. My face was burning and I didn’t dare to look at my master.

My master stepped out of the way between the tub and me and bent politely like a servant. He was asking me to get into the tub. I whimpered as I limped my way to the tub, which was only a few steps in front of me yet felt like miles away. My heart raced faster once my master was not in my sight. Again the insecurity of not knowing what awaited me was unbearable. I sensed my lord’s shrewd gaze fixed on my naked body. I felt so vulnerable and wanted to get into the tub as quickly as I could.

When I finally sat down in the tub, I didn’t know what to do once again, so I just sat there, staring at the water. The tender light scattered on the surface of the water and cast a floating reflection on my face. It felt warm, just like the water. It was neither too hot nor cold.

I heard my lord coming. I stole an anxious look at him. He came from the left but paced to the right leisurely, as if he was appreciating an exhibition.  
Not knowing what he was thinking about, I pulled my knees closer to my scarred chest and lowered my head in fear. He stopped and sat down on the edge of the tub.  
Silence, silence, silence. What was he thinking about, what was he doing? Couldn’t he just say something? Every of his actions was pushing me closer to a panic attack.

Water dripped down the piece of cloth he was holding, my master knelt down beside the tub and I stared at his right hand. The hand disappeared from my sight. Warm water dripped down my back just like blood dropping from a whip. My body trembled and my breath raced. What if it was something else? What if it wasn’t just a normal piece of cloth at all?

The hand with the cloth landed gently on my back eventually, and I gasped at the pain that was never physically there. I slowly turned my eyes to look at the hand stroking my back to reassure myself that it was a normal piece of cloth. It didn’t burn, and it didn’t hurt. I felt guilty having doubts on my master’s kind intentions.  
‘Do you love me, Reek?’ my master asked with earnest.  
I tried to look him in the eye with sincerity, ‘Yes, of course, m’lord.’  
‘Good, because I need you to do something for me, something very important……’  
My arms that had been embracing myself slowly loosened as my master rubbed the wet cloth against my back. I hoped I was right to trust him this time. He was my master, why shouldn’t I trust him? I looked up at him and focused on the words he was going to say.

‘There’s a castle you see, some bad man held this castle,’ he paused and his tone turned playful.  
‘I need your help, to take this castle back!’ he said.  
He was making me even more confused now. Why did this castle has anything to do with me? How was I even able to take this castle back? My mouth opened and closed a few times but uttered no sound. I tried again, harder, ‘How can I…..?’  
He leaned forwards, ‘I need you to play a role, to pretend to be someone you’re not.’  
I shivered, because I saw clearly in his eyes that the eager look had returned, and I suddenly felt weak and unprotected. Maybe I was wrong to trust him after all, even when he was my master.

I processed his words for a few seconds and asked carefully, ‘Pretend to be who?’  
I raised my eyes and saw his typical gin again. I turned away instantly to avoid any possible eye-contact with him. And it was making things even worse. I felt like an injured prey lying trapped, struggling, and bleeding before the hunter, fully exposed to his sharp gaze. I closed my eyes and waited for the final strike to put me to my death. Come on, why did two seconds take so long?

I couldn’t see clearly and I couldn’t think straight. The blow never came, yet a distant voice echoed beside my ear, ‘Theon Greyjoy.’

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading first of all.  
> A few questions for you guys,
> 
> 1.Do you think the English I use is too simple and would it affect the quality of the work?  
> (because English is not my first language)  
> 2.'Lord' or 'Master', which one is better?
> 
> Requests? I'll see what I can do.
> 
> Andri


End file.
